The real pepper (Piper nigrum) comes from the coasts of southwest India and is at home in the tropics. The climbing plant comes from the pepper family (Piperaceae), which contains around 1000 different species. However, only real pepper is of interest for the production of spiced pepper. There are also a number of plants that also bear the name “pepper”, but are not related to the actual pepper.
What different types of pepper are there?
Real pepper varieties all come from the Piper Nigrum plant and differ in their degree of ripeness and processing: black pepper (unripe, dried), green pepper (unripe, pickled), white pepper (ripe, peeled) and red pepper (ripe, pickled). Other “pepper species” are not botanically related.
Real Pepper
Black, green, red or white pepper – there seem to be many different types of pepper available in stores. However, as is often assumed, these are not different types, but simply different degrees of ripeness and preparation methods of the fruits of the pepper.
Black pepper – probably the most popular variety – is harvested shortly before it is ripe. The fruits then take on a yellow-orange color. Only when dried in the sun do the peppercorns take on the black color that gives them their name and also become wrinkled.
Green pepper is also harvested when it is unripe. However, you put the fresh peppercorns in brine, which on the one hand keeps them in their beautiful green color and on the other hand preserves them. In another method, preservation is done by freeze-drying.
White pepper is made from fully ripe, i.e. H. rich red peppercorns. The light color comes from peeling the fruit and then only the inside is dried. White pepper is much milder than black.
The quite rare red pepper also comes from ripe fruits, although these are not peeled. These peppercorns are also often pickled in brine.
Other types of “pepper”
In addition to the varieties of real pepper listed, a number of plants also have this name, even if they basically have nothing to do with real pepper and some do not even belong to the same plant family. Nevertheless, they are not just delicious spices, but also interesting plants for the hobby gardener.
Pepper family of the genus “Piper”
The so-called long pepper (Piper longum) or pole pepper also comes from India and is used similarly to black pepper. This type of pepper was also the first to reach Europe and was very popular for several centuries. Cubeb pepper or tail pepper (Piper cubeba) was also the preferred type of pepper in Europe for a long time - until the Portuguese king banned its sale because he wanted to promote the profitable black pepper. The species comes from the Indonesian island of Java.
Pepper family of the genus “Capsicum”
These are exclusively the different types of pepper or chili, which was previously also called “Spanish pepper” due to its spiciness. The Spanish conquerors brought the plants from the New World to Europe, where they quickly became very popular.
Other types of pepper
Pepper mixtures (“colorful pepper”) often contain pink peppercorns. These come from the Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), a sumac plant that can grow up to nine meters high. The allspice (Pimenta dioica), also known as clove pepper, also comes from the New World, but is actually a myrtle plant. The Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum) or Chinese pepper or aniseed pepper belongs to the large citrus family. It is ideal for growing bonsai, otherwise its seed pods are mainly used as a spice in Chinese cuisine.
Tips & Tricks
In Germany, real pepper can only be grown in greenhouses or appropriately heated winter gardens. Plants of the Capsicum species and the Brazilian pepper have significantly lower demands in terms of keeping conditions and care.
